Larian Studios Forums Divine Divinity (English) Suggestions Combat & Skills - more and/or less radical ideas..

First of all, I want the BAN list for ATTACKING CREATURES!
I am no chicken rustler/killer.

EDIT: ALTERNATIVE TO BAN LIST = EXCLUSIVE WALK MODE (No object interaction on mouse click). Toggle with W or some such, and a very obvious icon to tell you if it is on.

And especially inappropriate it is to come charging the innocent chicken when you are surrounded by hordes of dragon worshippers.
Also, with regards to involuntary (uh? correct english? voluntary - willing, in = not) attacks: The thieves' guild.

I do not really mean to kill that thief.
He fell on my mouse cursor! Honest!
And I didn't notice the textbox with an alternative to attack him until I had clicked once more to keep walking. As a result, I killed him, and took a slow loading to a point far back in history. I wouldn't have gone that far for a chicken!

Some wanted... A more advanced skill system?
I have some ideas to toss about.

Learn by doing, not by levelling.

Learning speed falls when a skill is high - this means that you will quickly become able to use a skill efficiently, but will need devotion to become an expert.

Attributes, Proficiencies and Skills.

Attributes:
Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence ( + Charisma with social effects?)
These are slow in changing, and have a cap on both individual scores, and total score. (IE no single score may exceed 50, the total may not exceed 140).

Jamie has:
Strength 45, Dexterity 30, Constitution 50, Intelligence 10.
His training raises strength to 50, and he has hit the maximum.
Suddenly, his dexterity training has enabled him to increase his dexterity.
Jamie will be prompted to drop either strength or constitution by one.

Strength and Constitution are the two highest attributes not being raised at the moment (that being dexterity). Intelligence matters little to a fighter, so he might want to drop that, which is power play, but he can't. No warrior may ever approach 50 in 3 physical categories.

Attributes represent raw talent more than it represents development, although it may change throughout the game.

Minimum strength/dex for items doesn't work too well with this. I never really liked the system anyway. Such things easily bring my mind to Runescape. (Fun for 5 minutes) In this system, talent will help, but you should be able to build any character on these talents, by use of skills.

At any point during the game, you can set your 'focus' to one of the attributes, which you will be favouring in training. (Done offscreen, as it would be idle and unamusing for the player. I assume the character sleeps too. Mine has been wide awake for several days if only the healing bed rests count). The character must eat and drink during the day to gain the benefits of training. By training for (current attribute rating)/4 days straight (round up), the attribute is raised.

I've been able to do some thinking while writing.

Max rating (single attribute): 30
Max rating (total): 6 * 30 / 2 = 90
Starting total score: 4 * 30 / 2 = 60
Distribution of starting scores:
- All attributes start at values in the range 12 - 20.

There isn't much potential for growth, only specialization.
Attributes aid your actions. (And give more hit points, mana...)

Attributes, Proficiencies and Skills
Proficiencies

How well trained are you with:
Swords? Axes? Combat? Stealth? Divine magic? Summoning?

How familiar are you with (fighting):
Dwarves, Orcs...

Proficiencies should start really low, but with a minimum of 1. 1 being totally inept, but able to try, and with great potential for learning. Presently, killing orc warriors forever will eventually stop giving you XP. Something like this should be in effect on proficiencies.

Experience (with subject) to increase skill level =
(Present level)^2 * 10, or maybe (present level)^3. By skill level 10 it would require 1000 points to advance, then.

Striking any orc at all with a sword would yield:
1 point towards combat.
1 point towards sword proficiency.
1 point towards orc combat familiarity.
OR successful hits could be required for this
OR successful kills could be required.

These numbers and conditions would need tweaking to become comfortable. The way creatures have different XP ratings now, they could also affect the above stats differently, being different challenges.

Of course, now gaining XP for quests is silly.
Rather, they have some neat trick to show you.
Next: Skills.

(I might make a little game of my own some time. Then I will have to come to this forum and read this again, as some of these ideas are new to me.)

Attributes, Proficiencies and Skills.

Skills:
These are the actions.

Flaming weapon (magical).
The flaming damage makes the mage a formidable combatant if he can only get in the first strike. Having this available, he's suddenly a lot better able to branch into a warrior style. Or maybe a warrior wants to expand his reportoire.
Requirements: Battlemagic 5.

As you can see, somebody with 1 in the related magic stat will not be able to start with this. A fighter would start somewhere else in magic.

Brute power (magical).
The strength of the caster increases by 1 for the duration of the spell.
Requirements: Battlemagic 1. (And no proficiency starts below 1).

Casting this spell gains the character experience in:
Magic (general).
Battlemagic.

Attacking will function as normal (learning not altered by spells).

UNDEFINED SPELL DURATIONS:
Spells might be set to drain X mana / time unit, and be activated/deactivated.
Like "embrace shadows" does to vitaliy.

Attacking is a skill unto itself, but everybody has this very basic capability.
It is therefore disregarded on the skill tree.

Acquiring skills:
A tutor or a book can offer the ability quite fast.
To learn it by book, you must fulfill the requirements.
If you learn it by tutor, you need not fulfill them, but can not use the skill yet unless you do. (Can learn for future needs).

To learn a skill without a tutor, you must forgo all 'attribute training', and practice the skill instead. You must have the required proficiencies, and train for X days straight (X being defined for each skill).

Most of this is very radical and might even cause issues with the engine.
I don't expect to see it there.
But I put it there for you all to see.
And for me too.
I bet this forum has a function that will allow me to find my own posts and re-read them whenever I need them.

I might need these.

By the way... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/evilgrin1.gif" alt="" />LOINheart? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/evilgrin1.gif" alt="" />

EDIT: Oh, and of course, the relationships between all stats would have to be revised for this to work. Loads of work, and it is unlikely to be done. I'll do it in my own game.

I was gonna say something else... But I have already forgotten.
Something about this being a great game, but something was bothering me. (Of course).

Things it might have been:
The weaponsmith accepts meat. I like Geoff and he Admires(100) me, but I don't care about all the other dealers, so I unload whatever I wish to get rid of with them. The potion vendors are drowning in heavy chain boots!

It is silly (but I couldn't help taking advantage).